People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 551, The court officials: Anyone is fine, but not Xu Qing!

“My elder brother has served as Right Chancellor with utmost dedication and prudence, without making the slightest mistake. Your contributions to the Qin state are evident to all the ministers. I believe that the position of Chancellor should rightfully be given to my elder brother!”

Seeing that Xiong Qi remained silent, Changwenjun spoke again.

“That makes sense. If Lord Changping were to become the prime minister, it would be a great blessing for both my family and the country,” an official also stepped forward and said.

Seeing this, the others also stepped forward to flatter Xiong Qi, expressing their support for his candidacy for the position of Prime Minister.

Their thinking was simple: anyone could become prime minister, but absolutely not Xu Qing, simply because Xu Qing was too close to the military. If Xu Qing became prime minister, how could they, the civil officials, advance their careers? Would they have to go to the battlefield to fight?
They may have some strength, but in actual combat, they would be sent to their deaths. As for leading troops, they weren't trained in military strategy; wouldn't they be disastrous for the country and its people if they were appointed as generals?

Ultimately, the Qin state, which was founded on military merit, was not very friendly to its civil officials, who did not have a clear promotion path like the military.

Although there is a recommendation route, the criteria are too vague and it relies heavily on the superior's favor.

Moreover, after Xiong Qi became the prime minister, along with Queen Mi and her unborn child, the court would surely be dominated by the Chu faction of maternal relatives. At that time, they could also make some progress and advance their own path. Why not?

Moreover, this is what they deserve, since before Xu Qing entered Qin, it was always their Chu-affiliated relatives who were helping Ying Zheng.

Now that Ying Zheng has assumed full power, it's time for them to reap the rewards of their investment.

Xiong Qi looked at the crowd urging him to go ahead, his expression remaining calm, but he was somewhat tempted.

That's the Chancellor, the head of the Qin court, second only to the emperor. If he could become Chancellor, he could directly influence Qin's foreign wars and diplomacy. He could not only better leverage Qin's power to strengthen himself, but also directly use Qin's strength to help Chu.

Even with his status as the prime minister, this eldest son of the Chu state, who had been living abroad, might have a chance to compete for the position of crown prince of Chu, or even king of Chu.

Thinking of this, Xiong Qi's hands clenched tighter, but for the sake of the occasion, he had to maintain his humble persona.

“This is inappropriate. The position of Prime Minister is of great importance and should be appointed and decided by His Majesty. It is not something that we, as his subjects, can discuss,” Xiong Qi said, shaking his head.

“Brother, the way of a ruler lies in enlightening virtue, and the advice of his ministers is beneficial to governing the country. If the king makes a mistake, and we, as his ministers, turn a blind eye and blindly cater to his wishes, that would be disloyal,” Changwenjun stepped forward and said.

“What Changwenjun said makes sense. We are only advising Your Majesty, not forcing you.”

"The Prime Minister's position concerns the future of Qin. It is absolutely unacceptable to appoint an inexperienced child to this post. I urge you to prioritize the interests of Qin and advise the King accordingly."

Other members of Chu's foreign relatives also stepped forward to persuade Xiong Qi to compete for the position of prime minister.

"As for Lord Zhaoming, he has indeed made great contributions to the Qin state, but we can let him take on other positions first to accumulate experience before gradually succeeding his brother as prime minister. This is also for the sake of the overall situation of the Qin state," Lord Changwen continued.

As soon as he finished speaking, Lord Changwen and the other relatives of Chu looked at Xiong Qi with anticipation in their eyes, waiting for his answer.

Although everyone had already made up their minds, Xiong Qi still looked thoughtful. Only when everyone was getting a little nervous and uneasy did he slowly nod.

“Since it is for the sake of Qin, we, as subjects, should not turn a blind eye to unclear orders and should advise Your Majesty. However, this matter should not be submitted to us,” Xiong Qi said in a deep voice.

He had to maintain a respectable image in front of Ying Zheng, after all, he was a core member of the Qin King's faction. If he openly went against Ying Zheng's wishes because of the struggle for power, he would inevitably lose Ying Zheng's trust. Even if there was to be opposition, he absolutely could not be the one to start it.

"Does my brother mean to have a member of the imperial clan intervene?" Chang Wenjun's eyes flashed with a glint of light, and he smiled slightly as he spoke.

“The imperial family has long suffered under the sway of scholars; they probably don’t want to see another Marquis Wenxin, Lü Buwei, emerge,” Xiong Qi nodded and said.

Upon hearing this, everyone understood Xiong Qi's meaning and nodded repeatedly.
"I'll wait to understand."

"No, you don't understand. If we want this to succeed, we need to devise a meticulous plan. Let me explain."

Xiong Qi immediately began to devise a plan with the Chu state's foreign relatives to seize the position of prime minister.

Meanwhile, inside the residence of Lord Weiyang.

The members of the Qin royal family also looked solemn, their faces not looking too good. The reason for this was naturally because Ying Zheng intended to appoint Xu Qing as prime minister.

"The scholars of the six states are not to be trusted. Lü Buwei recommended Lao Ai, which led to Lao Ai causing chaos in the palace, damaging the reputation of Your Majesty and my Qin state, and even turning into a rebellion, almost leading my Qin state to an abyss of no return."

“We absolutely cannot stand idly by and watch the King blindly trust the scholars of the six states, even if that person is Zhaoming Jun! The position of Prime Minister must not be given to Zhaoming Jun.”

Lord Weiyang, a respected elder of the Qin royal family and the next Grand Master of the Imperial Clan, stood before a dozen or so members of the royal family and spoke with righteous indignation.

You'd think he and Xu Qing had some deep-seated grudge.

“Lord Weiyang is right. Lord Weiyang made great contributions in this pacification of the rebellion. If it weren’t for you leading us members of the royal family to mobilize troops, pacify Xianyang and arrest the Inner Governor, our Qin state would have suffered even greater losses. You should be the prime minister.”

"Yes, yes, yes! Now that Lü Buwei has just fallen from power, we absolutely cannot allow someone from the six states to serve as prime minister again." Immediately, the other members of the royal family echoed this sentiment, each expressing their own views with great enthusiasm.

Although they had great affection for Xu Qing and even respected this wise ruler, Xu Qing's background was truly regrettable; otherwise, they would certainly have supported him to serve as prime minister.

In the eyes of the royal family, the Qin state had been in chaos for so long because of the scholars from the six states led by Lü Buwei. As members of the royal family, they had to eliminate these pests that threatened the stability of the Qin state and bring the Qin state back into the hands of the old Qin people.

Only the people of Qin were truly loyal to the Qin state and fought valiantly for Qin's unification of the world, while the scholars from the other six states were merely there for fame and fortune.

Lord Jingyang frowned slightly as he looked at the aggressive Lord Weiyang and the mobilized members of the royal family. He felt that his elder brother's reaction to Xu Qing's appointment as prime minister was too intense.

However, thinking of Lü Buwei's example and the humiliation Lao Ai had inflicted on Lord Weiyang, his brow relaxed again.

“Brother’s words make sense. However, Lord Zhaoming is, after all, a meritorious minister of our Great Qin. Although we cannot appoint him as prime minister, we cannot mistreat him either,” Lord Jingyang said, gesturing with his hand.

"Lord Jingyang, what do you mean?" someone asked.

“Lord Zhaoming is young and lacks experience in handling government affairs. If he were to directly serve as the prime minister, he would be in a difficult position. Perhaps we should first let him serve as the chief minister, just like Gan Luo did back then,” said Lord Jingyang.

Lord Weiyang looked at Lord Jingyang, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

His cousin harbored deep hatred for the scholars of the six states, yet he was willing to treat Xu Qing as a second Gan Luo and appoint him as prime minister. This was enough to show that the other party truly respected Xu Qing, even going against his own principles.

Gan Luo was the last hope for the revival of the Qin royal family and the local scholars and clans, but unfortunately, fate was cruel to him.

The rest of the royal family agreed without even thinking.

Based on Xu Qing's contributions to the Qin state, he should not be treated harshly. Apart from the highest positions of Chancellor, Grand Commandant, and Imperial Censor, he can be appointed to any other position without any problem.

"Very well, then tomorrow we will reject Your Majesty's idea on the grounds that Lord Zhaoming is too young. For the sake of Qin, we should do whatever it takes!" Lord Weiyang shouted, raising his arm.

"We'll do anything!" the others echoed.

While the scholars of the six states, the foreign relatives of Chu, and the royal family of Qin were all plotting how to seize future power in the court and oppose Xu Qing's appointment as prime minister, Xu Qing, at the center of the storm, was practicing swordsmanship with Jing Ni.

In the courtyard of Lord Zhaoming's residence, in the courtyard of Jingni.

Xu Qing and Jing Ni clashed with wooden swords, their swords striking each other repeatedly, creating a series of clanging and banging sounds.

Judging from the sounds alone, it would seem that the two were fighting fiercely, with neither holding back in the slightest, but in reality, that was not the case.

The two fought fiercely with their wooden swords, but it was all rather weak and powerless. Their attacks were also conventional, lacking any of the skill expected of a top-tier assassin from the Luo Wang organization or the future leader of the Tian Zong sect.

Xu Qing blocked Jing Ni's wooden sword with his own, a smile on his face and gentle eyes.

Although Jingni's face remained cold and stern, her gaze towards Xu Qing was no longer sharp. She turned her head away somewhat embarrassedly, as if she was too shy to look at Xu Qing, but a hint of affection flashed in her eyes.

There may not have been any vows of eternal love between the two, but how could Jingni, who had regained her feelings for a man who was willing to go to Qin for her and provide her with enough security, not be moved?

Jing Ni may not know what love truly is, but she knows that as long as she stands by Xu Qing's side, she will no longer recall the scene of training to kill in the Luo Wang organization, and her whole being will be exceptionally calm.

Perhaps feeling awkward under Xu Qing's tender gaze, Jing Ni immediately put away the wooden sword in her hand.

Seeing this, Xu Qing also sheathed his wooden sword, looked at Jing Ni with a smile, and asked...
Why did you suddenly sheathe your sword?

Jingni didn't speak, but gave Xu Qing a slightly helpless look, letting him understand on his own, before turning and walking into the house.

He was just practicing his swordplay; why was he giving her those affectionate glances that made her feel all tingly?

As Jingni walked, she pondered, a blush rising on her usually cold face, but she quickly suppressed it.

"No, no, why would I have such a thought? It must be the lingering influence of Luo Jing. I need to calm myself down," Jing Ni thought to herself.

Xu Qing looked at Jing Ni's graceful back and her long, beautiful legs striding away, and shrugged helplessly.

"What are you doing? Why practice those violent sword moves every day? Wouldn't it be better to practice the tender sword technique?"

After muttering a complaint under his breath, Xu Qing followed Jing Ni into the house.

(End of this chapter)